Apple Inc. Stock Around iPhone Launch: Different This Time

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is expected to unveil the much-anticipated iPhone 6 at an event on Sept. 9, and analysts have been expecting great things for the company’s stock. They say that this time, shares won’t fall after the announcement. Instead, many believe the exact opposite thing will happen.

iPhone 6 to be Apple’s best product in years

Alpha One Capital Partners founding partner Dan Niles told CNBC this week that the iPhone 6 launch could have a very different effect on Apple stock than previous launches. He believes the upcoming model will be the company’s best product since the iPhone 4 or 4S. In that model, Apple added the two cameras—one that faces to the front and another that faces to the back.

Niles believes that the iPhone 6 will drive a bigger than usual upgrade cycle because it is expected to be much bigger than the previous model. In fact, he said he hasn’t upgraded his phone in three years, and he thinks that he isn’t the only one who has been waiting for a good reason to upgrade. He thinks a bigger iPhone is a good reason.

Apple stock could store

Niles isn’t the only analyst who expects the iPhone 6 upgrade cycle to be huge. Analysts from multiple firms have been echoing the same thing for months. And if the upgrade cycle is huge, they generally think Apple stock will climb rather than fall after the iPhone 6 is released. UBS managing director Steve Milunovich has said that the iPhone 6, plus the rumored iWatch, will help push Apple shares higher, saying again that this time around, things will be different for Apple.

The UBS analyst still has a Buy rating and $115 per share price target on Apple stock. He said that with the iPhone 6, Apple will begin addressing one-third of the smartphone market that it does not currently address.

Even though he mentioned the iWatch, Milunovich thinks the iPhone 6 will be “the main event.” However, he notes that some analysts’ price targets for Apple could be conservative because they haven’t included any impact from the iWatch into their models.